Hypericum plant named ‘Esm Cho’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hypericum  plant named ‘Esm Cho’, characterized by its compact, upright and uniform plant habit; vigorous growth habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; uniform and high density of fruits; brown-colored fruits; and tolerant to wind and rain.

Botanical designation: Hypericum androsaemum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Esm Cho’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum, botanically known as Hypericum androsaemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Esm Cho’.

The new Hypericum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador. The objective of the breeding program is to create new pot-type Hypericum cultivars with numerous attractive fruits.

The new Hypericum originate from an open-pollination in August, 1999 in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador of a proprietary selection of Hypericum androsaemum identified as code designation Line 04, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with an unknown selection of Hypericum androsaemum as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hypericum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative cuttings in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, since February, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Hypericum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Esm Cho have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Esm Cho’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Esm Cho’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and uniform plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit; uniform and high density         of fruits.     -   4. Brown-colored fruits.     -   5. Tolerant to wind and rain.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum are shorter than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the female         parent selection in fruit color as plants of the female parent         selection have green-colored fruits.

Plants of the new Hypericum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Excellent Flair, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, plants of the new Hypericum differed from plants of the cultivar Excellent Flair in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum were shorter and had shorter         internodes than plants of the cultivar Excellent Flair.     -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum were more freely branching than         plants of the cultivar Excellent Flair.     -   3. Plants of the new Hypericum had smaller leaves, flowers and         inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Excellent Flair.     -   4. Fruits of plants of the new Hypericum were lighter in color         than plants of the cultivar Excellent Flair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Hypericum. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical stem of ‘Esm Cho’ with mature fruits.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photograph and following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions in an outdoor nursery in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador for about 18 months. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 30° C., night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to averaged 12° C. and light levels ranged from 1,000 to 1,150 foot-candles.

-   Botanical classification: Hypericum androsaemum cultivar Esm Cho. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Hypericum             androsaemum identified as code designation Line 04, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Hypericum             androsaemum. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About seven to ten days at 22° C. to             30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four to five             weeks at 22° C. to 30° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fibrous; color, 200B.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Compact, upright and uniform plant habit. Freely             branching with about eight flowering stems developing per             plant per year; dense and bushy plant form; vigorous growth             habit. Typically grown as a pot-type Hypericum.         -   Plant height.—About 60 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 35 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 56 cm. Diameter:             About 5 mm. Internode length: About 4 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 148D overlain with 174B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 5.3 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse to retuse.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; waxy;             leathery.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 139A; venation,             close to 144A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close             to 147A; venation, 148C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Bright yellow-colored single             flowers arranged in terminal compound umbels; freely             flowering with about eleven flowers per umbel. Flowers not             persistent. Flowers face mostly upright.         -   Fragrance.—Moderate.         -   Natural flowering season.—Year-round in Ecuador.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven days on             the plant.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Shape: Globose. Color: 14A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 9.3 cm. Diameter: About             11.4 cm.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 2.5 cm. Depth (height): About 1.2             cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in a single whorl.             Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Oval. Apex:             Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth; papery. Aspect: Incurved;             concave. Color: When opening, upper surface: 13A. When             opening, lower surface: 14B. Fully opened, upper surface:             14A; color becoming lighter than 14A with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: 14B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in a single whorl; three             larger than the other two. Length: About 9 mm to 11 mm.             Width: About 5 mm to 7 mm. Shape: Ovate to elliptic. Apex:             Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Aspect: Recurved. Color:             When opening, upper surface: Close to 180A; towards the             apex, 175A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 199A;             towards the apex, 179A. Fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 137A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Strength: Strong. Length: About 5 cm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146D overlain             with 172B.         -   Pedicels.—Strength: Strong. Length: About 7 mm. Diameter:             About 1.8 mm. Aspect: About 49° from the stem axis. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower:             About 100. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther length: About             1 mm. Anther color: Close to 162A. Pollen amount: Abundant.             Pollen color: Close to N163A. Pistils: Quantity per flower:             Single pistil with three stigmas. Pistil length: About 1 cm.             Stigma shape: Circular. Stigma color: Close to 46A. Style             length: About 6 mm. Style color: Close to 154C. Ovary color:             Close to 151D.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Shape:             Narrowly ovate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             172A; towards the base, close to 144C.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 0.1 mm. Diameter: About 0.03 mm. Color:             Close to 200C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Hypericum have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hypericum. -   Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hypericum have been     observed to tolerate wind, rain and temperatures ranging from about     0° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Hypericum plant named ‘Esm Cho’ as illustrated and described. 